


Not a Burden

by NoSleepUntilVacation



Series: I Want My MTT [6]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Depression, Hopeful Ending, Other, References to Addiction, Therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-08-25 19:08:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16666558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoSleepUntilVacation/pseuds/NoSleepUntilVacation
Summary: You haven't done much over the past month, which feels bad enough on its own, and today ended up being worse when, after so long of staving off a gambling addiction, you gave in to temptation. Mettaton wants to help you, and he won't give up on you.Rated T due to dealing with some heavy topics, specifically:-Depression-Gambling addiction-Negative self-imagePlease keep this in mind if you choose to read.





	Not a Burden

**Author's Note:**

> An anonymous Tumblr user asked me to write a fic in which Mettaton comforts a reader-insert who is depressed and feeling unproductive, and had a relapse in an addiction. (Since the user didn't specify any further beyond "not a substance addiction", I decided to write about gambling.)
> 
> I'm a little worried about this one because I don't know if I handled the topics well; I tried to handle it as delicately as possible, but there's that little part of me that's worried that I somehow screwed up. This was a little experimental for me, and I'm not sure how well it's going to work.

When you hear the sound of the door opening, you almost don’t even bother to look up. You end up doing it anyway when you hear him saying your name, sounding quite concerned.

“Mettaton…” Your voice comes out in a slightly choked tone, stemming from your tears.

He walks over to the couch and sits down next to you, putting his arms around you. “What happened, sweetheart? Would you like to talk about it?”

“I…” You take a shuddering gasp. “I did it again. I blew five dollars on lottery tickets… didn’t even win anything.” Your fist clenches. “I keep telling myself that I won’t win anything big from those! And I was doing so well at avoiding them, too! I just saw some ones that looked really good when I was at the gas station earlier, and I thought I could win… I thought I could make up for all the money I’ve spent.” Another breath. “I feel like such a–”

“–person who made mistakes,” Mettaton finishes for you. “You’ve been doing so well, sweetheart. Just because you’ve made a mistake doesn’t mean you can’t still change your ways.”

“I know.” Your body trembles. “It’s just… how can I be sure I won’t do it again? I know I can do better than this… I _want_ to do better…”

His hand slowly slides up and down your back. “I’ll help you. I promise I won’t leave you behind for any reason.” He looks into your eyes. “You’re a much better person than what you give yourself credit for, beautiful. You’re smart and talented and very kindhearted…”

“Then… why haven’t I actually done anything this past month? I’ve just been sitting around, going through the motions day after day…” While part of you really wanted to do things, the rest of you just wanted to go to bed and stay there until further notice - which in turn caused an inner clash between those two halves, and eventually a vicious cycle.

What do you do when you really want to work, but you not only don’t have the physical and mental energy to come up with a big project, but you’re also so ashamed of your past inaction that you’re nervous about even trying?

Regretful tears stream from your eyes as you slouch into his arms. He continues to hold you close and softly whisper those little things you need to hear: you’re not alone, he’s here for you, and he’s never going to abandon you.

“Just tell me how I can help you, sweetheart. If you need anything…”

“Can… can I call my therapist for a bit? And maybe all three of us could talk? I want to see if we can come up with something that’ll help me through this.” More trembling and more tears. “I just… don’t want to be a burden–”

“You’re _not_ a burden.” His tone is completely serious. “And if _anyone_ tries to convince you otherwise… it doesn’t matter who they are. I’m going to have a very serious talk with them.” He kisses your hand. “You are one of the most wonderful people I know, gorgeous. I have so many good memories of the times we’ve spent together.”

As he lists a few of them, your heart feels just a little lighter. Even though some parts of your mind want to contradict him, the memories he’s describing are good memories for you too.

“…and we can make all sorts of delightful new memories together!” His eyes seem to shine a bit as he hugs you a little more tightly. “You’ve made me very happy and comfortable, and that’s why I want nothing more than to help you through this. Even if you’ve made mistakes, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. You can always change your ways as long as you really try.”

You don’t need to see the slightly bittersweet look in his eyes to know that he’s speaking from experience.

“I love you so much, darling…” He kisses your forehead.

“I love you too, Mettaton.”

And with that, you take out your phone, and you locate your therapist in your contacts list.

* * *

By the end of the ensuing phone conversation, the three of you have come up with a plan for the next week, to help deal with the immediate fallout. In the meantime, Mettaton puts on a TV show that he knows you like watching even when you find it hard to enjoy things. He’s making some food right now, and you can’t hold back the slightest of smiles.

Even when it feels like everything is going wrong and there’s no way to escape your demons, knowing that you have people on your side certainly makes it easier to handle. And even though this situation definitely won’t be resolved overnight, you already begin to feel a tiny bit more stable - and even, in the depths of your mind, just a little hopeful.

Whatever tomorrow brings, you’ll take it one step at a time.

**Author's Note:**

> https://nosleepuntilvacation.tumblr.com/


End file.
